Mercy
by Sithstrukk
Summary: She wants to see the galaxy with you, but the galaxy has got other plans. Oneshot. BobaXYgabba.


Something was wrong. Very wrong, I knew, as I entered the dessert kitchen of Jabba the Hutt's Palace. It was too quiet, and fear spiked the air…

"Gabborah." I caught him mixing a deep purple icing. "What is it?"

He stopped his work. The hand that had been stirring was shaking and his large knuckles were white. "She's gone," he said through cracked lips.

Ygabba. Ygabba!

"Why?" I wanted to know.

Gabborah blinked something out of his eye. "Jabba's noticed her."

"Huh." Of course he has. Oftentimes he makes her spoon pudding into his gaping, repugnant mouth.

"He… had other plans for her, I suspect. He doesn't want her as a dessert chef!" There was unmistakable anger in his voice. I had to feel sorry for him. No one would want someone they care about to be the object of Jabba's interest. I was instantly worried. Jabba thinks she'd make a nice slave girl, doesn't he?

"I see," I said, exhaling loudly; apprehensive.

"She was scared and angry. She stole a speeder bike and survival kit and ran away." Gabborah's tears spilled over. "My child. Jabba's… put a bounty on my child. Dead or alive."

I put a hand on his lean shoulder. A bounty on Ygabba, really? I recalled all the bounty hunters I had seen around lately. They were restless. Waiting around for something to do… Jabba was using her. Just to give his bounty hunters something to do, they'd have a competitive little hunt. Easy as mujacake. "Gabborah. Help me!" I said urgently, shaking him roughly, even though he was already being rocked by sobs. "I can find her. Where did she go?"

"She said… she said out to the Dune Sea. She's wait a few days and then go to the city."

"What direction exactly?"

"West… perhaps…"

Perhaps. I grit my teeth. Alright, old man, be strong. "She's fine," I say, and I start to feel numb. I know it's not true. As soon as Jabba sends out his hunters, she'll be dead. And on these kinds of hunts-the ones that are just a fun free for all- most don't kill as clean as they usually do. They do it slowly, drawing out the pain all they can. "I'm going to find her." I take a step back.

The chef has looked up at me, his eyes red and puffy. "She went to see the galaxy. To explore it like her bounty hunting friend."

I swallowed but my throat was all hollow. "I understand."

"Do what's best for her," Gabborah pleased as I strode out.

_Do what's best for her. _She can't make it in the galaxy, she can't escape. She can't hide. There would be only way to do what was best for her.

I jogged most of the way to the main room Jabba was in. Inside bounty hunters lined the walls and music played. A row of bounty hunters; humanoids, aliens, armored, armed, grinning, scowling, helmeted. And they all kept looking at Jabba expectantly. A familiar setting. I had arrived just in time to hear Jabba's instructions: get the girl dead or alive. Whoever makes the kill gets the prize! Then, with a roar in Huttese, the hunt began. Over a dozen beings clamored to their ships. I tore to my speeder, my mind racing as I thought of the many blasters, detonators, rifles, and pistols being prepared. I think of all the smug faces plotting the kill and sabotaging the plans of others. I cannot let any of them get to her first. I can't bear to imagine what they'll do.

I'm off so fast all I've got is my blaster pistol. It only has one shot in it. But in theory, that's all I'll need.

I keep west. Stars, how I'd love to have Slave 1, which is being outfitted. Even so everyone else is nothing but a dot on the horizon. Most have dispersed in separate directions. A few might be having a shootout. I push the speeder to maximum speed and ride through the blistering afternoon.

I'm well into the Dune Sea and approaching a rocky area. I can't help but let a grin escape my chapped lips. I chose to check here first, just on a hunch, because Ygabba always said she'd just like to curl up in a cave every time she was scared. I begin searching the rocks for her.

"You!" She hurls herself at me. I nearly lose my balance locked in her tight embrace. When she lets go she's beaming. "It's so great you found me!" Her eyes shine. "Now that you're here, I've never felt better!"

"Hm," is all I can manage. I turn around, pretending to stare into space. Through my helmet I scan the horizon. There are some bounty hunters not far behind but they're not within view.

"Boba? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." I fiddle with the hem of my tunic. "Let's sit down."

She leads me to her camp. It's a nice setup considering the circumstances. I'm at a loss. One breath. Two. "What-"

She kisses me. For a moment everything dissipates. When she breaks away her beam is bigger than ever.

"Sorry. I always wanted to do that."

My cheeks warm as I'm silently cursing myself. And we kiss some more. It's strange, because I never really thought about her like that. I can't tell if my heart's in it, I just know that I like it. I'm aware that if her heart's in it, I shouldn't be doing this to her, then. It's cruel, not fair; I should just get it over with. _That's the right way to do it, right Dad?_

Ygabba looks up at me, puzzled. "Are you all right?"

I get up and pace. There are two, now three, dots on the horizon, and they're getting bigger. "Yeah," I say shakily. I sit down again, this time behind her.

"Do you want to see the galaxy, Boba?"

"Yeah."

"…I'm going to."

"That's great."

"If you wanted… you could come."

"Yeah." My heart's pounding too fast. These dots on the horizon… there's over six of them now. I feel helpless. There's only one way to save her, to make sure she doesn't endure what they have coming for her. She'll spot the hunters soon. "Look over there." I point the other way and she complies. "We… could have a nice ship, and-"

I pause. I heard a shot fired, very faint, and far off. It brings my heart rate up, and I'm soon at a near panic. Ygabba notices nothing, just leans against me. My lips brush her neck. "We'd see the galaxy in that ship."

"Could I fly the ship?"

I find the point where the spine and skull meet. I reach for my pistol and falter. "You can fly the ship. I'll teach you." It's a fight for every word.

She gets excited. "You'd teach me?"

"Of course." I've got a firm grip on the pistol. I can just make out the hum of speeders.

"And pretty soon, Boba, you could teach me to-"

The shot's clean. I jump to my feet as Ygabba crumples forward, but my knees are too wobbly to support me. The sound bounced off the rocks and rings in my ears. A moment passes. People pull up. I numbly walk the other way, toward my own speeder. They stare at me, dumbfounded.

"I suppose we can take her, then?" One frowns.


End file.
